Cross-Cultural Comparison of Attitudes toward Welfare-State Programs: Path Analysis with Log-Linear Models

Many studies to date regarding public support for welfare-state programs do not have an adequate theoretical model and fail to consider differences in public support for contributory vs. means-tested programs. Moreover, these studies seldom take into account cross-cultural variations. This study presents and tests the validity of a three-tier model in which socio-economic variables influence social ideologies which, in turn, differentially affect support for contributory and means-tested programs. Using comparable data from two countries - Israel and the United States - a path analysis with log-linear models is applied, indicating that, while important cross-cultural differences exist, the model is generally confirmed.